Electric switch



L. KELLNER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION man Dsc. 3. 1917.

1,377,778. Patented May 10, 1921.

/A/ VEN TOI? uw M414/ v Afro/mfr i fr l//l/fI L..KE LLNER. I ELEcl-Tmc SWITCH. APPLICATION EILED DEQ. 3| |917.

'Patented May 10,1921.

3 SHEES-SHEET 2.

i MMI ljgl l INVENTO'R L. KELLNER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3. 1917.

Patented May 10, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

6 :i 4 ,26 f7 mi ,a g3 W24 n WWW -Qv [N ENTOR 5 M24 BY ATTORNEY MLA " Louis XELLNER, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonx.

n n'ients' in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification. Y This invention relates to manually operable electric switches 'and has for oneof its objects the provision of a switch in which the-'circuit is ,adapted to be closed and broken rby mechanism operating with la rapid snap action and actuated by a swingingV switch lever or handle.

, A furtherk object is to provide eccentric means for reeiprocatingfthe movable contact, fmean's into andl outA of circuit-closing position, `and another important ob] ect of the causing said eccentric means to operate the movable contact means with a snap action as` the switch handle reachesthe limit ofits throw in eithen'direction. .l n

Another object; of the invention is to provide rotary. cam means, actuated by a swingingtswitoh lever for releasing poweroperatedmeans as the switch lever reachesV the limit of its throw in either direction to;

permit saidv power-operated means to actuate the circuit-making and breaking means with av snap action.

. Afurther important object of the inven-V tion is to provide simple means operable to reciprocate thel movabley vcontact means, either, toward or from circuit-closing position, with a quick snap action, said means being controlled by they movement of a,

swinging switch lever or. handle.

r Another object `of the .invention is Vto provide means for preventingr access-to the fuse plugs except when the'switch is in oit position;

Y In the drawings, Figure Itis a vertical longitudinal sectional view of thel switch, taken` yon theline I-.I of Fig. A2,. the switch beingshown in,oi position;

ofFigl; .t .Y n.

i Fig. Y3 a rvertical longitudinal-section on the. line III- III of Fig. V2, the switch being` lshown inposition to closethe circuit;

ig. 4 a vertical central transverse section, the switch `being shown in .oif position; u .1,

invention is tov provide simple means for.

Fig..2 a sectional plan'on the. line II-II" oFFicE. 5

` ELECTRIC SWITCH.

' specification of Lettersraent. Patented May 10, 1921 Aippiitaiion ined December'a, i917. serial No. 205,141. i'

V`F ig. a fragamentary horizontal ksectionk taken throuvh the fuse box;V

Figs. 6, and 8 detailjsectional views.4

showing the positions assumed'by the operating mechanism when the switch lever isin off position," an intermediate position, and onf position,respectively; Figs. 9 and 10 detail side elevations showing'opposite sides-vof the eccentric means. for shifting the movable contacts;

F ig; 11 a detail side elevation o'the re-4 leasing cam disk Fig. 12 a horizontal section XII- XII of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 a detail view showing the switch lever or handle; and Y v Fig. 14 a vertical transverse section on the line XIVfXIV of Fig. 10. Reerringtothe various parts by numerals, the switch is provided with abase 1 of porcelain or vother suitable material, upon on the line which the parts are mounted, and the entire Y vswitch mechanism is inclosed in an outer box-like casing held to one face of the base in :"any suitable manner. The casing is formed with side walls 2, end walls 3, anda cover 4 hinged to one of the end walls at 5. The casing isdi'vided into an outer compartment and an inner compartmentby a parti'- tion or division plate 6 having a rectangular opening 7 Vsubstantially centrallyV thereof. A substantially U-shaped frame comprising side members or plates 8 and 9 and a base plate 10, is heldto the basel by suitable screws 11, or other fastening means, Vand the side members 8 andV 9 of said Vframe.

Vextend through the opening 7 in the partition 6 and into the outer compartment ,to a point below the cover 4 of the casing.

A rod 12 is supported at its ends in plates 8 and 9 adjacent the upper ends of said plates, and a sleeve 13 is rotatably mounted on said rod and is formed withI reduced angular endportions 14 and 15.` A switch lever or handle -16 is held to theangular end portion 14 of said sleeve and is adapted to rotate saidV sleeve .through slightly` moreI than half a revolution-in either direction, said handle being formed with an --angular opening 17 through which thean'gular end.V portion of sleeve 13 extends. A releasing cam or disk 18 is held to the angular` end portion 15 ofsleevey 13 to rotate therewith, said disk being formed with an angular opening 19 through'which the end 15 of theA sleeve extends, andn being also formed with `a groove in one face thereof extending through an arcV of slightly'inore than 180O and formed with inclined or cam portions 21 and 22 at opposite ends thereof.

An eccentric 23 is loosely mounted on the rod .12 and is formedwith a groove 24 in one facethereof, concentric with rod 12 and eX- tending through an are of 1809. Openings 25 and 26 extend through the eccentric 28 at Vopposite ends lof groove 24, said openings being formed with enlarged portions 27 andV 28, respectively, in theV face of the eccentric opposite the face formed with Vgroove 24.

A; short 'headed pin 29 vlits loosely V'in opening 26 anda similar vpin 30 `lits loosely inthe opening 25, the heads of lsaid pins being adapted to pass into and out of the enlarged portions 27 and 28 of said openings and V- preferably rounded, as shown, and corre spond in thickness with the depth of the enl larged portions 2';` and 28 of openings 25 so. Y 1

and 26.

An eccentric strap -31 extends about the eccentric 23.. and is formed with a stem 32V connecting at its'lower end` by a pin 83 with one arm of a bracket or angle plate 34 held to the outer face of a block 35 of suitable in. sulating material. The `block-85m guided ony the-framelmembers 8 and 9 which extend-through openings 36and 37` in said bloclr,aiid t e'bloclris adapted to'be reciprocated' bythe eccentric from the position Y shown in Figs. 1 and 4 tothe position shown in Fig. B'when the switch lev'er is operated,

Vas niore fully hereinafter described,A Two.Y

- pairs ofV movable contacts or brushes 38and 39rare held to the inner face ofthe block 85'4 and are electrically connectedwith two pairsV offuse-pl'ug-holding clips 40 and 41 on the outer face of `block`35 by screws or bolts 42 and A pair of fuse Vplugs 44 are held `at their ends in the pairs offclips 4() and 41, and saidV plugs andlclipsareinclosed by afuse- V-boirlor inclosing cover comprising two-'sections 451and7`46 hinged to rods 47 and 48 supported in the opposite ends of bars 49 held to opposite sides of bloclr`35 by screws 50 and preferablycountersunlr in fsaid block,

as shown, The sections and 46 ofthe fuse borg` or'` cover are preferably provided with interloekingportions or latch means 51, as shown. The pairs of contact brushes 88V and 39 are adapted to engage pairs of stationary terminals-or contacts 52 and 58, held to the base' 1,when the block 35 is moved toward the base. A motor spring 54 is coiled about the sleeve 13 andthel ends 55 and 56 thereof Vrec'iprocatory ing end portions 55 and 56 of the-spring 54.

With the parts in off position, as shown in Figs'. 1, 2, 4 and 6, when it is desired to close the circuit the switch handle or lever 16 is swung upwardly and toward the left, and then downwardly tothe iosition shown in F ig. 3, through an arc of slightly more than 1800. As the switch lever 16 is swung about its pivot the pin 57 on said lever forces the end of spring 54 beforel it, thus'winding said spring or placing the same under tene sion, as the eccentric 28 and pin 28 `carried thereby are held against rotation by a pin 59 extending through an aperture Vin 'frame member 9 .and through groove 24 and into opening25 in eccentric 28,.s aid pin 59 being forced inwardly past the bottom of said groove 24 by a flat spring 60 held to frame member 9, to force thefhea-d .of ping@ out of the enlarged portion 27 of opening 25 into groove '2O in4 vreleasing .disk 18;.;V Itwill be observed that, as the .lever lapproaches the end of its throw, the inclined cam por# tion 22 of groove 20'in disk 18 will engage the projecting head of pin 30 and force said pin into opening 25, thus forcing the end ofV locking pin'59' out of; said openingrinto groove 24, in eccentric` 23, whereupon the pressure of end 56V of spring 54against the pin 58 carried by eccentricV 23 Vwill rapidly ice rotatesaid eccentric from the'position shown in Figs, 1, 4, 6 and 7, to the position shownV in Figs. 3 and 8,thus closing the circuit with a rapid or snap action as the lever reaches the end ofits throw. When the eccentric assumes the position shownin Fig. 8, the pin 59 will Vbe forced into' the opening 26, forcing pin -29 outwardly until the head of said pin projects into groove20 in disk 18.

The eccentric isthen'again held againstro.-l

tation and the partsV positioned to release said eccentric when the lever is swung in the opposite direction tol break the circuit. The circuit-brealringoperation is the reverse of that just. described and is thought to be obvious. 'i

VFrom the foregoing it will be observed that accidental or careless: operation of the switch is practically impossible 'sincey the switch levermust be swung through an arc Y of substantially 180 before the y'contactcarrying block 35 is moved; that'the movable contacts are shifted toward and 'from circuit-closing positionA with .a rapid snap action; thatthe movable contacts have'a snapV movement `imparted thereto by a swinging switch handle; and that the entire switchmechanism is inclosedv within a protecting casing.

It will be seen also that the fuse plugs are inclosed by a box or cover which is shifted into the lower compartment of the switch casing when the circuit is closed, and that the fuse box is so constructedl and arranged that the hinged sections thereof cannot beY moved to permit access to the plugs when the circuit is closed, the false bottom or partition 6 being so positioned as to embrace the fuse box and prevent the hinged sections 45 and 46 thereof from being rswung outwardly except when the switch is in off position, in which position the fuse cover is projected above the partition 6. The cover 4 of the outer casing may be provided `with a suitable lock, if desired.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric switch, the combination of line terminals, reciprocable circuit-closing means, a motor spring, an eccentric operatively connected to reciprocate the circuit-closing means toward and from circuity closing position and having two spaced apertures extending transeversely therethrough, manually operable means adapted to store powerin the motor spring to rotate the eccentric in either direction, a spring-pressed latch reciprocable transversely Yof the eccentric and adapted to engage in said apertures alternately to hold i the eccentric against rotation, a rotary cam controlled by said manually operable means, and a pair of releasing devices reciprocally mounted in the apertures in the eccentric and operable by said cam at the conclusion of `successive power storing movements o-f said manually operable means to disengage the latch from the eccentric.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of -l1ne terminals, reciprocable circuit-closing means, a motor spring, an eccentric having a pair of spaced apertures extending transversely therethrough, a strap embracing said eccentric and connected with the circuit-closing means, manually operable means for storing power in said spring toin the eccentric and rotatable with the ec-l centric, and means controlled by said manually operable means for forcing said releasing pins alternately toward the locking plunger at the conclusion of successive power storing movements of the manually operable means to disengage the plunger from the eccentric. Y

3. In an electric switch, the combination of line terminals, reciprocable circuit-closing means, a motor spring, an eccentric operatively connected to reciprocate the circuit-closing means toward and'from circuitclosing position, manually operable means adapted to store power in the motor spring to rotate the eccentric in either direction, a locking plunger reciprocable transversely of the eccentric into and out of locking engagement therewith, yieldable means normally forcing the plunger toward the eccentric, a cam rotatable with said manually operable means, and a pair of reciprocable releasing devices carried by the eccentric and operable alternately by said cam to disengage the locking plunger from the eccentric at the conclusion of power storing movements of said manually operable means.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of line terminals, reciprocable circuit-closing means, an eccentric having two spaced apertures extending transversely therethrough, a strap connecting the eccentric with the circuit-closing means, a reciprocable locking plunger at Vone side of the eccentric adapted to engage in said apertures alternately to hold the eccentric against rotation, yieldable means normally forcing the plunger toward the eccentric, a cam at the opposite side of the eccentric from the plunger, a pair of reciprocable releasing pins mounted in the apertures in the eccentric operable alternately by said cam to disengage the locking plunger from the eccentric, a switch handle rotatable alternately in opposite-directions, means connecting said switch handle and said cam to rotate in unison, a coiled motor spring between the eccentric and switch handle having outwardly projecting end portions, and two oppositely extending pins carried by the eccentric and handle and projecting between the end portions of the motor spring.

In testimony whereof vI hereunto affix my signature.

Louis KELLNER. 

